Houston Astros pick Stanford pitcher Mark Appel first overall

The 'Stros have held the top pick the last two years

The Houston Astros have selected Stanford pitcher Mark Appel with the No. 1 pick in the Major League Baseball draft.

Appel was considered a possible top pick last year, but Houston passed on the hometown kid and instead chose 17-year-old shortstop Carlos Correa from Puerto Rico. Appel slid to Pittsburgh at No. 8 but turned down a $3.8 million offer and returned to Stanford for his senior season.

The move paid off for Appel, a hard-throwing righty with a fastball in the mid-90s (mph). He went 10-4 with a 2.12 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 106 1-3 innings this season for the Cardinal.

The draft, which is held over three days and 40 rounds, started Thursday night with the first two rounds at MLB Network Studios.

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